Pennsylvania Olmstead Plan Information
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The 1999 Olmstead Supreme Court Decision and Pennsylvania

In a landmark interpretation of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), the Supreme Court decided that people with disabilities have a right to receive care in the most integrated setting appropriate and that unnecessary institutionalization violates the ADA. All states must now comply with the decision. The Center for PAS is tracking the legal and policy ramifications of the Olmstead decision in each state.

For a complete list of Federal cases please refer to the Department of Justice, Olmstead Litigation page.

(Data below extracted from the Olmstead Lawsuits and Olmstead Plans report, the State Olmstead Plans and Alternative Strategies table and the Olmstead and Olmstead-Related Lawsuits table available at the links above.)

Pennsylvania State Olmstead Planii

Updated February 2012, Pennsylvania does not currently have an Olmstead planii developed. Pennsylvania has, however, developed an alternative strategy to comply entitled:
Supporting the Journey: Transforming Pennsylvania's Behavioral Health System

Further Information iii

Progress: In 2004, the OMHSAS (Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services) Statewide Planning Council was restructured and called for the redesign of the state hospital system to develop community resources to support the discharge of any individual who has been in the state hospital for over 2 years. Since then, three state hospitals consolidations/closures were completed (p. 75 of report).

To read the report, Supporting the Journey: Transforming Pennsylvania's Behavioral Health System, go to: http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/ucmprd/groups/webcontent/documents/report/p_003099.pdf

Home and Community Based Services Stakeholder Planning Team Website: http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/communitypartners/informationforadvocatesandstakeholders/advisorycommittees/hcbsstakeholderplanningteam/index.htm

Notes and References: PA12

Pennsylvania Legal Cases Related to Olmstead (updated April 2012)

The Center for PAS has tracked 17 Olmstead and Olmstead related legal cases in Pennsylvania.

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